Incognito
by epilogue08
Summary: Iku follows Shibasaki and Tezuka when they go out for lunch, and drags Dojo along with her. And Dojo isn't very happy, cause that's definitely NOT what he had in mind for their first date. *Takes place after the story 'Mind Over Matter'.
1. Chapter 1

**Incognito**

**Summary:** Iku follows Shibasaki and Tezuka when they go out for lunch, and drags Dojo along with her. And Dojo isn't very happy, cause that's definitely NOT what he had in mind for their first date. *Takes place after the story 'Mind Over Matter'.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Library wars.

Iku quickly ducked her head so she wouldn't be seen. When she realized Dojo's head was sticking out, she hastily grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him down.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that they were not seen by the targets.

Dojo cleared his throat. "Why exactly are we doing this?"

"_Shh-!_" Iku whispered hastily. "What if they heard us?" She peeked around the wall in a rather sneaky manner.

Dragging Dojo with her, Iku kept an eye on Shibasaki and Tezuka, making sure she won't lose track of them.

"Doing this doesn't accomplish anything, Iku."

She glared at him. "Of course it does! It's finally the time for me to get them back for messing with me!" She nodded to herself, then hastily added, "Oh, and with you."

He raised his eyebrows, not feeling very surprised at her answer. "And what exactly are we going to do by following them?"

"You sure have a lot of questions, Sir." Iku quickly ran to the other side of the street, and hid behind a tree. Despite his reluctance, Dojo followed her by casually walking across the street.

"Blockhead, don't call me 'Sir' in personal time. And we're dating anyways."

Iku blushed. But she wasn't going to let that distract her from her current task.

Continuing to sneakily walk down the street, and ignoring the stares of bystanders, Iku decided to give him more information. "You know how Shibasaki always seems to know every single thing? With that informational network of hers?"

Not bothering to let him answer, she continued on, revealing her true intentions. "This time, I'm gonna be the one to surprise her with my knowledge. And since she's going out for lunch with Tezuka, it's the perfect chance. I need something to get him back for making fun of me all the time, too."

Dojo stared at her, annoyed yet amused at her immaturity. "This is ridiculous. Don't you think those reason are kind of irrelevant?"

"Instructor Dojo, you don't understand the pain of having to deal with two smart people all the time! Just the other day, Shibasaki was the one who told you I was at that bookstore, right? And she did a lot of other stuff behind my back. I need to get her back for those, too."

"You want to get revenge on Shibasaki and Tezuka, but not Komaki?"

Iku paused. "Oh right, Instructor Komaki was one of the culprits, too."

Seeing her targets walk further away, she muttered, "I'll figure something out later." She quickly ran to catch up with them, hiding behind a mailbox to make sure she wouldn't be seen. "Instructor Dojo, hurry up!"

"Idiot, I just told you not to call me that." Dojo frowned, and grumbled to himself. "And if it weren't for Shibasaki and Komaki, we wouldn't be together right now. Geez, that _blockhead_." But if Iku had asked, he would never say that out loud.

He dug his hands into his pockets, holding on to the movie tickets he had brought just the day before. After making sure they wouldn't fall out of his pocket, he quickly followed her.

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"Wow, that's an expensive 5-star restaurant, isn't it?" Iku commented as soon as she saw Tezuka carefully open the door for Shibasaki, acting like a model gentleman.

"Uh-huh." Dojo didn't look interested at all. In fact, he was starting to look slightly irritated. "Iku, I-"

"Wait!" She interrupted him. "Should we follow them inside? Or stay here?"

"I don't know." He quickly answered, running a hand through his hair in aggravation. "Maybe we shouldn't-"

He was interrupted when Iku suddenly grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the restaurant entrance. "We'll just follow them!"

Dojo scowled, trying not to be _too_ annoyed by her. "You blockhead! Are you seriously going to follow them in there?"

Iku paused. "But…" She pouted. "Well, it _is_ a 5-star restaurant. I guess we can just wait outside." She turned around and dragged him to a bench outside, where she can keep an eye on the restaurant entrance.

Right before she sat down, she froze. Dojo looked at her, slightly worried. "…Iku?"

A huge grin appeared on her face as she pointed across the street. "Isn't that a small café? We can eat lunch there while keeping an eye on them."

Dojo didn't bother to convince her otherwise. He grabbed Iku's hand and started towards the café. He kept his other hand in his pocket tightly clenching the movie tickets, wondering if they'd even have the chance to use them today.

As soon as they entered, Iku immediately headed for the seats beside the window, so she can keep an eye on Tezuka and Shibasaki.

Dojo sat down in front of her. "Iku, the only thing you're going to see is them…eating."

She glanced at him, pouting a little. "You never know! Maybe something will happen! And-!" Her stomach suddenly rumbled noisily. She felt her face getting warm, looked down to avoid eye contact with Dojo.

He chuckled, and reached for the menu. "So on top of arriving late today, you also managed to miss breakfast."

"I-I just woke up a little late, that's all!" She scowled, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"You don't have to be upset." Dojo, who was no longer feeling annoyed, grinned in amusement. "Look, they serve chamomile tea here; how about ordering it to calm you down?"

Iku didn't answer him, and instead kept her attention fixed on the table.

While she was still sitting there, sulking, Dojo decided on their meals and ordered for them. When the waiter left, he looked back at her. The blush on her face had faded away, and her attention was, once again, back on the couple sitting across the street.

Dojo sighed, trying not to show a look of irritation. He stared at her, wondering about what he should do. Hearing a ringing, he turned his attention to the door, and froze when he realized the person who had just entered the shop seemed very familiar.

A waiter went up to him to see how many seats he needed. The man held up two fingers, then followed the waiter to an available table. As soon as he sat down, he reached into his pocket for his phone, but paused when he made eye contact with Dojo.

It was Kasahara's father.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Dojo sat frozen in his seat, surprise evident on his face as he spotted him. Her father seemed to be in the same condition, thought it was probably due to the shock of seeing his only daughter out on a date with her superior officer.

Suddenly realizing how rude he was, Dojo hastily nodded a greeting before turning back to Iku, intending to tell her to turn around. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw her father hold up a hand. Dojo blinked in confusion as he watched him hold up his index finger in front of his mouth, signaling for him to keep silent.

"Instructor Dojo?"

Dojo quickly looked back at Iku, trying not to seem on edge. Her full attention was on him. It made him more tense, knowing that her father was just a few feet away and could see everything that was happening.

"Um-" Iku started to turn around to see what he was looking at.

"Ah-!" Dojo yelled, trying to distract her. He didn't know why her father would want him to keep quiet, but if she saw him now, Dojo was sure things would turn slightly awkward. "W-what do you plan to do after lunch?"

"Well, I think Shibasaki and Tezuka…" As Iku continued, Dojo silently breathed a sigh of relief. He took a sip of his tea, sneaking a peek at Iku's father. From what Dojo knew of him, he knew her father was a serious and stern person. But right now, he seemed relaxed, with something that resembled a smile on his face.

Dojo loosened up a little. He didn't even mind that much when Iku pointed out something that was happening at Tezuka and Shibasaki's table across the street.

"Instructor Dojo, look! There's some guy talking to Shibasaki." Iku's face was practically pressed against the glass. "Oh-I think Tezuka's starting to frown a little."

Leaning back against his chair, Dojo was starting to almost completely relax, when-

_Riiinnng._

The bell sounded again as the door opened, and a women walked in. Dojo took a quick glance at her, looked away, then hastily turned to look back at her. _It can't be-_

He tense up and sat straighter as he watched Iku's mother walk towards the table where her father sat. Luckily, she didn't see them, and her back was facing them.

Dojo looked at Iku, who was still intently staring at her friends. He gripped the edge of the chair, feeling extremely uneasy. Iku barely mentioned anything about her family, so he didn't know how her relationship with her parents were at this point. He knew she went back to visit them during New Years, but judging by her mood when she had returned, it probably hadn't been the most heartwarming family reunion.

He glanced back at the table where her parents sat. Her father didn't seem to have mentioned anything about them, and Iku was completely ignorant as usual. His thoughts were interrupted when the waiter brought their meals.

Iku smiled brightly when she saw the food. "Instructor Dojo, what is this?" She poked her food with the fork.

Dojo paused a bit, struggling to remember what he had ordered. "I think it's something called _Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni_."

"Huh?"

Smiling warily, he took a bite. "Try it, it's pretty good."

Iku stared at it. "It seems a little heavy for a meal in a small café, doesn't it?"

Dojo's smile turned into a grin. "Does it matter?"

"Guess not."

Even while she ate, she kept one eye on Tezuka and Shibasaki at all times. But to her disappointment, nothing unusual was happening at their side.

About ten minutes later, Dojo noticed Iku's mother stand up and head towards the bathroom. Once she was gone, he became well aware of her father's stare in their direction.

"Instructor Dojo, I think they might be leaving soon!"

For a second, Dojo thought she was referring to her parents. Iku started taking bigger bites and swallowing her food with the tea. She wiped her mouth, and stood up.

"I'm going to the restroom first, then we'll continue following them!" And with that, she left, walking right past her father without realizing.

Dojo didn't get a chance to reply. Sighing, he finished his food, then suddenly looked up. _Didn't her mother also go…?_

He stood up, even though he wasn't sure what he was planning to do. Iku's father saw this chance and walked over to him.

"Officer Dojo, right?"

Dojo, who wasn't expecting this conversation, almost bit his tongue when he replied. "Ah-yes, that's right."

Iku's father smiled politely. "I hope my daughter hasn't been a trouble to you at work."

"N-not at all! She's been showing improvements, in both administrative work and defence training." Dojo spoke with a sense of pride in his voice. However, he didn't know if Iku had mentioned to her parents about her injury from the incident at the Murazato Library, so he didn't say anything about that.

Her father nodded, looking pleased. "I was just wondering; is today your day off?"

"Yes." Dojo's answer was direct, though he didn't mention why they were out eating lunch together. He also didn't know if Iku had mentioned to her parents about them dating, so he didn't want to tell them accidentally.

But when he saw Iku's father nodding and looking thoughtful, he wondered if he already realized.

Dojo glanced at the direction of the restroom, feeling slightly worried about Iku. Her father cleared his throat. "Ah, my wife is back. Excuse me."

After they left, heading for the register, Iku returned to their table. "Instructor Dojo, we gotta hurry! Tezuka and Shibasaki are going to leave!"

Dojo looked at her strangely; it didn't seem like she had seen her mother. _Maybe they missed each other by chance?_ He breathed another sigh of relief.

Iku grabbed her bag from where she left it on the table, and dragged Dojo to the exit before he could say anything. Holding the check, Dojo reached for his wallet, but the lady behind the register stopped him.

"Oh, your meal is already paid by the man that left earlier."

Dojo blinked, looking confused. Iku, on the other hand, was tapping her feet in eagerness. "Instructor Dojo-"

He turned to look at her, slightly annoyed. "Alright, alright." Nodding his thanks to the lady, they left the café. Iku was about to drag him along with her, but his mind was on something else. He looked around, hoping to see Iku's parents. _They should be around somewhere…_

A few seconds later, his ears almost went deaf when Iku suddenly screamed.

_"B-big brother?!"_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

"Big brother! What are you doing here?!"

Her eldest brother turned around, and smiled brightly when he saw his little sister. "Iku! What a surprise-who's this?" He looked at Dojo curiously.

Iku's brother was at least ten centimeters taller than Iku, so he towered over Dojo without really meaning to. Dojo nodded at him, trying to hide his annoyance of having to look up to do so.

At his question, Iku started stuttering. "Uh-this-this is-"

Dojo stuck out his hand and introduced himself. "Dojo Atsushi. I'm your sister's boyf-"

"Superior officer!" Iku disrupted. "He's my superior officer, uh, at the library force."

Her brother started laughing, then stopped when a ringing was heard. "Oh, that's my cell phone. It's probably our parents telling me to meet up now." He looked up from his phone when he heard a something similar to a choking sound.

"_Wh-wh-wh-what?!_" Iku's face was pale, and she looked somewhat unsteady. "_They're _here too?! T-they-"

"Ah, that's right. The three of us came here together." Her brother ignored her frozen state, and patted her head. "Alright, I'm leaving now. Don't worry, we'll come visit you at the library very soon. Well then," he cleared his throat, "I hope I didn't disturb your date, _er_, outing. I'll see you soon." With a final nod at Dojo, he left.

"Th-they're here…" Iku was still staring in shock. Dojo shook her a couple of times, and she turned to him with a disheartened expression. "Instructor Dojo…they're here…what should I _do?!_"

"You don't really need to do anything. They already know you're on the Task Force, and it's not like you have any more secrets you're hiding from them. Unless," Dojo looked at her wearily, "Unless you're trying to keep quiet about our relationship…"

Iku bit her lip and stared at the ground. "It's not like I want to keep it a secret. I just don't know how I'm supposed to tell them. I mean," She clenched her fists tightly, "just think about my mother. She's always been so uptight about me becoming the 'perfect young lady'. I can just imagine all the things she'll say about finding a 'suitable' partner for me!"

Dojo was silent for a few seconds. "So…I'm not suitable?"

She paused, appalled at his hurt expression, and realized that what she had said could be easily misunderstood. "N-no, that's not-!"

"Officer Dojo?"

They both turned around, and saw Tezuka. Behind him was Shibasaki, who looked slightly irritated at Tezuka for interrupting Iku and Dojo's conversation.

"Kasahara." Tezuka nodded at her, then seemed to notice the slightly tense atmosphere. "Uh, am I interrupting…? My apologies."

Dojo looked at him, expressionless. "Don't worry about it. We were just about to return anyways."

Shibasaki smiled a bit too cheerfully. "So were we, Instructor Dojo. In that case, let's all go back together." She glanced at Iku suspiciously when Dojo turned and started walking quickly.

Letting Tezuka and Dojo go ahead of them, Shibasaki grabbed Iku's arm and spoke quietly. "Kasahara. What did you do?"

Iku looked at Dojo, who was walking briskly with his back straight. She couldn't help but feel a bit of guilt about what she had said. No matter how well he was trying to hide it, it was obvious he's upset. "I…I said something stupid again."

Shibasaki frowned. "That I figured out. Geez, isn't this your first date? How could you just upset him like that on this day?"

"Huh? This isn't a date. He just asked me to go with him to the post office this morning. Then we-" Iku paused. She couldn't tell her that they were following them on their lunch date. "W-we just had lunch in a small café afterwards."

"Kasahara." Shibasaki looked horrified at her. "That's obviously a date." Seeing Iku's doubtful and confused expression, she sighed. "But then again, you're not that kind of person who can take a hint…"

Iku took another peek at Dojo, and realized he was still upset. She felt the urge to catch up with him, slip her hands through his, and apologize for her stupidity. But she can't do that with Tezuka and Shibasaki here.

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When they returned, Major Genda had Dojo help him out with another one of his insane plans, even though it was his day off. As usual, Dojo couldn't refuse a request from Genda, no matter how many times he complained about it.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to talk him now, Iku returned to her room with a sulking expression. She flopped on her bed, and stared at the ceiling. _I didn't mean to make him misunderstand. But I really don't know how I'm supposed to tell mother. _

_What about father? He approved of my job, and he seemed to get along with Instructor Dojo during that time when they visited. Would he accept it if he knew Instructor Dojo was more than just a superior officer to me?_

_And how am I supposed to apologize to Instructor Dojo? If I ask him to keep our relationship a secret, he'll just get upset again! But it's not like we can hide it forever…_

Iku clutched her head, feeling a headache coming. It was similar to the one she got the last time her parents visited. She glanced at the clock, and realized it was getting late. _Maybe he finished with whatever Major Genda told him to do._

She grabbed her cell phone and called Dojo, all the while wondering what she should say to him. _Anyways, I should apologize first._

"Hello?"

Iku jumped slightly. She wasn't exactly ready to explain herself yet. "H-hello? Instructor Dojo?"

"Iku? Everything alright?"

She leaned back against the wall, feeling relived at the fact that he didn't seem angry at her. For the moment, at least. "Yeah." Iku chewed her lip, and hesitated. "Um, about today…"

"…Don't worry about that, you blockhead. You have your family circumstances to think about, I understand."

She breathed another huge sigh of relief.

"But Iku, you're going to have to tell them someday."

"I don't really feel ready yet. And they're planning to visit soon, so maybe we should just keep quiet about it for now-" _Beep._ Iku looked at her phone, and noticed another incoming call.

From her mother.

"I-instructor Dojo! Sorry, I have to hang up. My mother is calling me!" Iku couldn't seem to control the panic in her voice.

"Wait, Iku-"

Dojo was cut off when she hung up in a hurry. It wasn't as if she was looking forward to talking with her mother, but the last time Iku didn't pick up her call within five rings, she earned herself a harsh scolding.

Iku took a deep breath, and answered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

"H-Hello?" _Ugh, I stuttered again._

"Iku? Is that you?"

"Yes, mom, it's me." She tried her best to sound cheerful, but inside her head, she was thinking, _Who else would it be?_

"Oh, good. Your brother told me he saw you this afternoon. Did he tell you we're planning to come visit you together?"

Her grip on the phone tightened as she felt her headache getting worse. But at the same time she was a little relieved. It seems like her brother didn't tell their mom about _who_ she was with. "Yeah, he did. I didn't think you'd want to visit; at least not so soon."

There was a moment of silence before Iku heard a reply. "I want to check again to see that this job is suitable for you…and it's been so long since we have last seen each other." Iku mumbled an incoherent response, but her mother didn't seem bothered by her lack of enthusiasm.

"Iku, we'll be coming tomorrow evening. I hope it won't cause any trouble if we stay in the dorms again." Iku almost yelped in shock. _Tomorrow evening?! I need more time to mentally prepare!_

"A-ah, mom-"

"And I hope you won't be keeping any secrets from us this time." Iku flinched. Her mother was referring to her keeping her position in the Task Force a secret before.

"I-I know." Iku bit her lip until it almost bled. _Looks like I have to tell her about Instructor Dojo. Even if I don't, she'll probably find out from someone else anyways._

"Um, uh…mom? If, uh, well…" Even without looking at a mirror, she knew her face was starting to turn completely red. _It's probably better to tell her over the phone than in person._

"Iku? What's wrong? Don't keep stuttering."

"B-but, you see…" Iku pulled her knees against her chest, and put her head down. She had the urge to cover her face even though there was no one else in the room. _Ugh, I don't really want to imagine her reaction._

Iku closed her eyes, and considered _hinting_ at her relationship with Dojo instead. But she quickly shoved away that idea. That wasn't the way she accomplish things; if she had something to say, she would say it directly.

She took a deep breath. "Remember the prince I told you about the last time you visited? I found out his identity, and we're dating now."

_Silence. I knew she'd be shocked._

Iku listened hard for the sound of breathing over the phone to make sure she was still there. "…Mom?"

"Well, congratulations."

She almost dropped the phone, because the voice definitely did_ not_ belong to her mother. "_Father?!_"

Iku heard laughing in the background, and she realized her brother was there too. "Big brother?! Wait! Did you all hear me?!" Her face turned into a deeper shade of red.

"Yo, Iku." Her brother greeted her. "When you were busy stuttering, mother handed me the phone so we could talk. But, you see, I accidentally pressed the 'speaker' button, and well…"

Iku smacked her head against the wall. _Why, why is it always like this?! _

_Well, at least father isn't against it._

"Mom? Are you there?" There was no reply, but she could hear her father's voice in the background.

"Ah, Iku?" It was her brother again. "It seems that mom is, well, a little speechless. Don't worry, we'll talk to her. I should probably hang up now."

Imagining her mother's reaction, Iku was too horrified to reply.

"And just to remind you, we're coming tomorrow. Bye!" And with that, he hung up while she was still staring into space.

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"Dojo? Hey, Dojo!" Komaki waved a hand in front of him.

Dojo blinked in surprise, and looked at Komaki. "Komaki? When did you come in?"

Komaki frowned at him. "Just now. You opened the door for me, remember?" He sighed and shook his head at Dojo's blank expression. "Anyways, what happened between you and Kasahara-san?"

Dojo looked away and stared out the window. "W-what makes you think something happened? Nothing happened between us. Everything's fine."

"Really?" Komaki handed him a beer, which he brought with him. "The way you're acting doesn't seem to reflect that."

Dojo sighed, and mumbled, "To think all of this started from our first date. First, Shibasaki and Tezuka shows up, then her _family_ of all people…"

"Hm?" Komaki looked at him. "What's this I hear?"

"Nothing."

Komaki spotted Dojo's cell phone on the table. "Dojo, you should call her and clear up whatever's going on."

Dojo took a long sip of the beer. "She just called a while ago… her family is visiting again."

"Oh, so that the problem?"

"Not exactly. I think she wants to keep our relationship a secret."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Komaki lift his head up in surprise, but neither of them said anything for a few minutes.

Komaki glanced around the room uncomfortably. For once, he didn't know what kind of advice to give to Dojo concerning his love life. "So…what are you thinking?"

"I want to respect her wishes, but I don't want to date her in secret." Dojo hesitated a bit, but spoke with determination. "If her parents don't give their consent, then I'll do what it takes to earn their approval."

Komaki smiled a little. _Looks like he doesn't need my advice this time._

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"Woah." Shibasaki stood frozen at the door of their room. "When I left an hour ago, you were fine. But now you just look awful. What happened?"

Iku was lying face down on her bed. She turned her head and stared at Shibasaki with a dreadful expression. "Shibasakiiiiii….."

"If you had long dark hair that could cover your face, you'd be perfect as a character in a horror movie right now."

Iku sniffled. "Stop joking around! I need advice."

Shibasaki turned around as she changed into more comfortable clothing. "What kind of advice? Should I charge a fee for each advice I give?"

"My family is coming tomorrow. What should I do?!"

"Kasahara, I can't give advice unless I know what the problem is."

"I just told my family about Instructor Dojo…but my mom…"

Shibasaki didn't say anything.

Iku sighed and ruffled her hair. "I…ugh, who knows? Maybe my mom would approve of Instructor Dojo when she meets him tomorrow. Whatever, I'm gonna sleep. G'night." She pressed her face into her pillow.

"So I guess you don't want advice?"

Iku didn't answer. Shibasaki looked at her and thought, _From what I know about your mother, I doubt things would go that smoothly._


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: In the light novel, Iku called her oldest brother by his nickname, "Big". But apparently, in the French translation of the novel, he's called "Daisuke", so let's just call him "Dai". She's still going to call him "big brother" in front of her parents, though. I'm sorry for the complications. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)_

**Chapter 5:**

The first thing that popped into Iku's mind in the morning was the conversation she had with her family the day before. They would be visiting that evening, but Iku had doubts about introducing Dojo to them, especially to her mother. _And how could they give me such a last minute warning?_ She grumbled to herself as she quickly got dressed for work.

As she changed, she glanced in the mirror, and noticed that the scar on her arm was quite dark. She frowned. If her mother noticed the scar, she would have to tell her that she got injured on the mission a few weeks ago. She would be hysterical if she knew Iku had been shot at twice. One on the arm, and the other had scraped the side of her head.

Iku remembered the fight against the MBC agents at the Murazato Library, and shuddered. If the course of the bullet had been a little closer to her, she wouldn't have lived. She traced the scar on her arm gingerly, feeling relieved that her teammates didn't have to suffer the same injuries as her. _Especially Instructor Dojo. _

She stepped back and looked at the scar again. _I better keep this covered so mom wouldn't notice._

"Kasahara?" Shibasaki's voice interrupted her thoughts. "If we don't leave in a few minutes, we'll miss breakfast."

Iku starred at her for a second, then screamed when she saw the time.

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"Tezuka, I'll put you in charge of the desk work today." Dojo turned to Iku. "Kasahara, come with me. We're going to help the rest of the Task Force clean up the stack room."

As Iku followed him, her mind was filled with thoughts of her parents visiting once again. The last time they came, she had spent the entire time making sure they wouldn't find out about her real job. _But this time, I won't keep any secrets. No matter how angry they get._ She held her head up high, and her eyes narrowed in determination.

"Kasahara. Kasahara!"

Iku looked at Dojo in surprise.

"Stop spacing out. We've got to get this job done today." He handed her a stack of encyclopedia. "Follow me."

Distracted by his frown, she almost stumbled trying to keep up with him. As soon as they reached the bookshelf he was headed for, Dojo looked around cautiously to make sure no one else could overhear them.

"Iku." Dojo seemed hesitant to speak to her, and he kept his eyes on the bookshelf. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

Iku glanced at him, and suddenly remembered that she had rudely hung up on him the night before. "A-ah! I'm sorry about yesterday, Instructor Dojo." Dojo didn't show any reaction, so she continued on. "Um, I spoke to my mother. My family…they're arriving tonight."

That got Dojo's attention. "Tonight?" He didn't speak for a moment when he was putting back some books on the shelves. "Are they planning on staying in the dorms?"

Iku observed his expression, feeling slightly relieved that he wasn't angry with her. "Yeah, I think so."

"In that case, we need to prepare guest rooms for them." He paused. "…Are you planning on telling them about...us?"

"I-I already told them, actually. I said I was dating someone at the moment, but I haven't told them it was you." She didn't specifically mention anything about telling her mother she was dating the 'prince', since Dojo would probably feel uncomfortable bringing up that topic again.

He smiled slightly, and seeing that rare smile, Iku stared at him in a daze.

"So that means I have to introduce myself to your parents again. Though on a more…_personal_ level this time…" Dojo let his voice trail off, and reached for the stack of books she was holding. "But I'm almost positive your father already knows, Iku."

"H-huh?! What do you mean by that? Don't tell me…" She stared at him suspiciously. "You called him and told him?! Did you really need to-"

"Don't jump to conclusions!" He put a random book in her hands. "Here, put this away."

"But you didn't finish telling me…"

"It's fine, you don't really need to know. And you'll probably find out from him anyway."

"But-"

"Kasahara." Dojo's voice turned all business-like in a matter of milliseconds. "Back to work."

As he turned and walked away, Iku stared at the book in her hands with a frown. For the first time, she wasn't very pleased with the fact that her boyfriend also happens to be her superior officer.

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She took several deep breaths, and mentally prepared herself to meet with her parents again. As soon as she saw them walk through the dorm entrance, she put on a bright smile on her face, hoping that their first conversation face-to-face would be a friendly one._ Alright; here it goes._

"Iku, where is this prince?!"

She almost fainted right there. She should have expected her mother to do something embarrassing the minute they saw each other. Even her father smiled a little at the question.

"M-Mom!" She glanced around the room, and noticed other dorm mates giving them strange looks. "Mom, w-we'll talk about that later, okay? We need to get you guys settled into a room first. You must be tired after t-traveling such a long distance."

Her mother, Toshiko, looked like she wanted to argue, but Iku's father interrupted.

"Iku's right. We should get some rest first. Then we'll go out for dinner, alright? We can talk then."

Toshiko sighed in disappointment, but complied. Iku gave her father a grateful smile, before asking him, "Where's big brother?"

"He has some things to take care of, so he'll be coming in about two hours."

Trying not to show her disappointment, she nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Komaki walking up to them. _He must be here to bring father to the guest room._

Before Komaki led her father away, he smiled encouragingly and mumbled a 'good luck'. Iku returned a smile wearily.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Shibasaki watched in amusement as Iku collapsed on her bed. _She seems to be doing that a lot lately._

"Kasahara, you've only talked with them for ten minutes. You can't be _that_ tired."

"Ten minutes alone with my parents…it's a long time…"

"Right. So how'd they take the news?"

Iku turned to look at her in confusion. "What news?"

"The news about you and Instructor Dojo. What else is there?"

Iku stuffed her face back into her pillow, so her reply was blurred. "I didn't tell them it was Instructor Dojo. We're waiting for my brother to come, then the four of us are going out to dinner. I'll tell them later…"

Shibasaki raised her eyebrows in curiosity. It wasn't like Iku to let it drag on. "Huh." She got up and headed for the door. "Kasahara, I'm getting a drink. You want me to bring you back something?"

"Nah. I'm good."

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The moment Dai stepped foot into the dorm, he recognized a certain individual he had met not too long ago. "Ah, you're Dojo Atsushi-san right? My sister's superior officer?"

Dojo looked up from the vending machine. "That's right."

"Hmm. My parents and I will be visiting for a couple of days. I hope it doesn't cause any trouble."

Dojo smiled politely. "No trouble at all. Our library dorm has extra rooms especially for the families and friends that visit. Would you like me to show you the way to where your father is?"

"Sure, but later. I wanted to ask you something." Dai looked around to make sure Iku isn't in sight. "Are you really just my sister's superior officer? I don't mean to sound rude, but not many people would go out to eat lunch with their superior officer on their day off."

Dojo blinked. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to tell Iku's family members. _But he's asking directly; it would be inappropriate to lie._ _Better to tell the truth._

Toshiko wandered down the hallway, trying to look for the entrance where she had come in from. Around ten minutes ago, Dai had called her cell phone to tell her he was very close to arriving at the dorm. _Why is the dorm designed in such a complicated way? I'm sure it was around here somewhere. _

"I _am _her superior officer, but it's true that I'm dating Iku."

Toshiko's eyes widened. _Oh, could this be Iku's prince? But the voice sounds a little…familiar…_

She heard someone laugh. "Yeah, I thought so."

Toshiko blinked. There was no way she couldn't recognize the voice of the second person. She peeked around the wall, and confirmed that it is her son.

But it wasn't him that shocked her. It was the somewhat short and sturdy man who stood in front of her son that caught her by surprise. _Isn't that Iku's superior officer? _He's _the one she's dating?! And without my permission-!_

Toshiko couldn't bottle her anger, and with a deep scowl on her face, she started walking over to them.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: I know I haven't updated in a really long time, and I'm very, very sorry about that (especially since I stopped at a cliffhanger). I think this is what you'd call a writer's block…_

_But nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter, and I'd love to hear (or in this case, read) any comments; reviews are always welcome~!__And of course, a huge thank you for the reviews of the 1st five chapters! :)_

_- epilogue08_

**Chapter 6:**

"Kasahara sounded really dead. I wonder if it's due to her having nightmares for the past few days." Shibasaki mumbled to herself. No matter how nonchalant she acted in front of others, she couldn't help but worry about her roommate, who always seemed to be facing dozens of problems.

"Something wrong?" Tezuka came up from behind her, holding a stack of children's library books. It was rare for Shibasaki to mumble to herself when she acted so professionally all the time.

Seeing the slightly worried look in his eyes, Shibasaki smiled and shook her head, though Tezuka didn't seem to believe her. After she had left her dorm room, she bumped into Tezuka in the communal area of the dorm, where he had urgently requested for her help in some administrative work back at the library. Even though it would be overtime-work, Shibasaki, being the helpful and diligent co-worker, agreed-but for a price.

A tiny smile appeared on her face when she recalled the expression on Tezuka's face as she listed her collateral for helping him with the administrative work. She glanced at her watch. _Kasahara should be having dinner with her family soon._

"Shibasaki, do you mind filing away the paperwork? After this, we should be done." Tezuka handed her a pile of paper, while discreetly glancing at her face again to see if she was feeling alright.

"Sure, no problem."

In less than 15 minutes, they were on their way back to the dorm. As they entered the communal lounge, Tezuka bumped into a somewhat short women. "Ah-my apologies. Are you all right?"

She didn't look up at him as most people would, and tried to walk past him as if she was in a hurry for something. Tezuka frowned as he tried to recall where he'd seen her before. _Ah, isn't that Kasahara's mother?_

"Oh, Kasahara's mother," Shibasaki seemed to have recognized her too. Suddenly realizing how rude she was being, she quickly put on a professional smile. "Ah, please excuse my impoliteness. It has been quite a while, hasn't it? I'm Kasahara's roommate, Shibasaki Asako."

Toshiko seemed surprised to have her daughter's friends and co-workers recognize her. "I remember. But if you'll excuse me, I'm in a hurry…" Tezuka and Shibasaki had bumped into her just as she was about to interrupt Dai and Dojo's conversation.

Curious as to what Toshiko was looking at, Shibasaki turned around and spotted the two men having a friendly chat. She gasped quietly when she remembered that Iku hadn't told her mother about her dating Dojo yet. _Oh, here comes trouble._

Iku had wanted to tell her parents about it during their dinner. How would she react if she heard that Toshiko had learnt the truth from Dojo himself?

"Mom!"

Shibasaki signed a little when she heard Iku's brother. _Sorry, Kasahara. Can't help you now._

As Dai headed towards his mother, Shibasaki and Tezuka could see Dojo stiffen up at the sight of her, and both of them gave him a rather pitying glance, which he returned with a small glare. But the glare quickly disappeared as Iku's mother walked past her son to face Dojo with an unpleasant frown.

"You're my daughter's superior officer, is that right?", she asked bluntly.

Dojo nodded. "That's right."

Toshiko grabbed him by the arm. "Come with me. We're going to have a talk outside."

As Dojo followed Toshiko, a little unwillingly, outside of the dorm, Shibasaki and Tezuka stared in surprise while Dai took a deep breath. He was showing a troubled expression on his face.

Shibasaki, who quickly recovered, glanced at him. "Should I tell your sister about this? She's my roommate and friend, after all."

Dai hesitated before nodding grimly. "Am I the only one who has the feeling that things are taking a turn for the worse?", he asked. "To be honest, I wouldn't be all that surprised if my mother asked-er, _ordered_ them to break up. She'd always been so…overprotective."

"I doubt your sister would be surprised too. She's been having nightmares about this."

Tezuka turned to Shibasaki and frowned, his thoughts evident on his face. _Should you really be telling her family members that?_

She paid him no mind.

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For the first time in quite a while, Dojo was feeling nervous. Anyone can tell from the look in her eyes and her posture that Toshiko was extremely irritated. Once outside the dorm, she whipped her head around and glared up at him. "How long as this been going on?"

Dojo knew she was asking when they'd started dating. "Since a couple of weeks ago."

"That long?! And she never even bothered to tell me!"Toshiko glared at him with her arms crossed. A long silence ensued, and Dojo cleared his throat.

"If-"

"Break up with her."

Dojo paused midsentence, and his fists tightened very slightly at the suggestion. He looked at her straight in the eyes before responding. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

She didn't reply, and Dojo took that as a cue for him to continue to explain himself. "I…I wouldn't date someone if I'm not serious, so I won't break up with her." He looked away. "And I intend to stay with her, unless _she_ decides otherwise."

There was another long silence as she processed what he was telling her. She took a deep breath. "Iku told me that you were the prince that saved her when she was still in high school."

That was an unexpected topic, and Dojo didn't dare show any expression, but inside, he was feeling a bit uncomfortable. _She told her mother that?!_

"So if you think about it, it was _you_ that influenced her to pursue this dangerous career! I admit, Iku had never been a very feminine child, but to think that she'd end up with this kind of job!" Toshiko sighed. "But that isn't the problem at hand. I don't know if I can trust Iku to pick her own partner-"

"Toshiko."

They both turned to see Iku's father, Katsuhiro, coming out of the dorm. He gave a quick nod to Dojo before turning to his wife. "Aren't we going out to eat dinner? Iku and Dai should be ready to leave soon."

Dojo was frozen in confusion. Why would he just interrupt the conversation? _Ah-he's trying to help me._

On the other hand, Toshiko wasn't very pleased with her husband. "Dear! I was in the middle of a discussion!"

She frowned at Dojo, who felt that it was the right time for him to leave. "I'll leave you two alone; if you'll excuse me." As he quickly walked away, Toshiko looked like she wanted to call him back.

Once he was out of sight, she glowered at Katsuhiro. "He's the one dating Iku! I was just telling him to-" She paused when she realized he didn't look surprised at all. "Did…did you know already? That he's her boyfriend?"

He coughed awkwardly. "Well, I didn't _know_. I just had the feeling though."

"Why didn't you say anything?!"

"I wasn't sure if I was right."

She looked appalled at his excuse. "Even so-!"

"Mom?" Iku stepped out of the dorm and immediately shrank back when her mother gave her a glare, much scarier than it had ever been before. "Uh…" Looking at her father, she realized that maybe it isn't such a great idea to interrupt her parents as they argued one-sidedly. _I'll be sure to remember that next time._

"Iku!" Her mother's tone was scary. "I-I don't know what to say." Toshiko stomped past her, intending to return to her room at the dorm, but turned around as she opened the door. "If you guys are hungry, then go eat dinner, with Dai. I'm going to sleep. _Good night._"

Turning to her father, she asked, "Wha-?" She paused when her father smiled, placing a hand on her arm.

"That superior officer," he paused, "-boyfriend of yours; he truly cares about you."

A blush appeared on her cheeks when her father confirmed what she had come to find out. When Shibasaki returned to their room, she had told her everything. Strangely though, Iku didn't panic as much as she thought she would, only for a minute though. After that, she had ran out without even bothering to close the door.

Iku smiled sadly. _So they know already._ The gentle smile her father gave her calmed her down, since she knew he would definitely support them.

"Thank you, father."

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Iku didn't get a chance to talk to Dojo privately until the next day, after work. When all the other Task Force members left, Dojo immediately went to Iku. Smiling, Komaki grabbed a stack of files and left the room so they'd be alone.

"Iku." She turned her head to face him, and he frowned when he saw the dark circles under her eyes again. "Are you alright?"

Clutching the paperwork in her hands, she stared at him, like she was trying really hard to see what he was thinking. The night before, she had gone to her mother's room to see if they could talk, but the only thing she learned was that Toshiko had told Dojo to break up with her. _Dojo wouldn't just break up with me_, she had told herself. But at the same time, he was the kind of the person who'd do anything if he thought it was for the best. Her father's words rang in her ears, _'he truly cares about you.'_

_What if he's actually considering it?_ During the night, she told herself she was being completely paranoid, but another side of her was having doubts. Just a bit.

Dojo cleared his throat. "This weekend…would you like to go on a date?" When she stared at him with wide eyes, he wondered if he should take that as a 'no'. "But if you'd rather spend some quality time with your family, I understand. Since you haven't seen them in so long…"

"N-No! I mean," she panicked, "I'd love to go…and they're visiting for a while anyway, so, uh-"

Patting her head, he nodded. "Alright. Then on Saturday, same time and place?"

Iku quickly nodded, but started feeling slightly anxious when she realized he didn't smile at all.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

The peace and silence was a comfort for Dojo as he sat in his room, reflecting and reminiscing at the same time. In his hands, he held the small bottle of chamomile oil Iku had given to him a long time ago, as a present for helping her with her promotion exam. Thinking back, that was around the time when he realized he actually wanted her to be more than just a subordinate.

And now, there was a huge obstacle they had to overcome. He sighed for the hundredth time that day. Placing the bottle back on the table, he got down and started doing push ups to get his mind off of the problems. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on nothing else, until his cell phone started ringing.

As he swiftly reached over to get his phone, he felt his elbow knock something over. Thinking that the phone call so late during the night must be an urgent matter, he ignored it, deciding to pick up the call instead. He put the phone next to his ear, but the sound of glass breaking interrupted him. A faint scent of chamomile filled the room. _Don't tell me…_

With his eyes wide, he turned around. The elegant glass bottle of chamomile oil that Iku had given to him was now on the ground, shattered into many pieces.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Dojo gaped. _Of all things to knock over, it just _had_ to be that bottle._

But as important as Iku's present was to him, he needed to pay attention to the phone call first. "Hello?"

"Yo, Dojo?" Although the volume was low, Genda's voice was like a loudspeaker, and Dojo had to hold the phone slightly away from his ear.

"Major Genda?" He heard the sound of something dropping on the floor over the phone and instantly got worried. "What's happening?"

"Ahhh..." Genda's voice was slightly slurred and exaggerated, and he laughed so loudly that it almost burst Dojo's eardrums. "Dojo…be a good subordinate…"

"Huh?"

"…and bring me more booze…"

Dojo's eyes widened. "Major! Are you drunk?!"

"Haha, no I'm not. Dojo! You worry waaaaay too much!"

Dojo massaged the side of his head, trying to think of ways to make his commanding officer actually behave like one. "Alright, I'm on my way. For the time being, stop drinking."

"Dojo, you gonna bring us more beer?!"

"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous! Didn't you just hear me tell you to stop drinking?!"

As he hurried towards the door, he stopped and glanced at the mess of broken glass and chamomile oil on the ground. His expression darkened, and he sighed. _I need to clean that up, too._

The scene inside the Major's room was just as he'd expected. Even from outside, he could hear their voices, slurred with drunkenness, and rowdy laughter. Genda, and several other members of the library force were drinking non-stop. Empty beer bottles were lying all over the ground, and the room was a complete mess.

Dojo took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm himself down. _Good thing I brought enough bottles of water._ Putting them down on the table, he tried to get them to stop drinking, scolding them non-stop.

His efforts were futile, and Genda leaned on the side of his bed, laughing wholeheartedly. "Hey, Dojo! Did you bring more dri-" Genda paused when Dojo shoved a bottle of water in his hands and laughed. "Oh well, water is good too."

Genda drained the entire bottle within seconds, and sighed contentedly. Completely ignoring the other people in the room, he slapped Dojo on the back forcefully. "Dojo! How's it going with Kasahara?!" He didn't notice Dojo's disheartened expression as he reached for more water. "Are things getting lovey-dovey between the two of you?!" He laughed, still sounding like a drunkard.

"Ah-t-that's…." Dojo stared at the ground, getting more depressed by the second.

"Of course it is!" One of the other task force members laughed. "This is Prince Dojo we're talking about!" The others quickly joined in, teasing him mercilessly. In their drunken state, none of them seemed to notice his troubled look.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

"You don't look very happy for someone that's about to go on a date," Shibasaki commented as she observed her roommate.

It was Saturday morning, and Iku was digging through her closet looking for suitable clothes. Normally she'd spend an hour panicking about what to wear, but today she was oddly quiet. Iku turned and stared at Shibasaki, uncertainty written all over her face. Shibasaki smiled warily. That girl _is_ really like an open book.

"Shibasaki, do you think…"

"Hm?"

Turning to the mirror, Iku nervously tugged at her sweater. "I-Instructor Dojo was acting strange when he asked me out on the date."

"Kasahara, if you ask me, you're the one who's acting strange."

"I-I heard from my mother t-that she told Instructor Dojo to break up with me." Her voice was a bit uneven as she spoke, and the despair was obvious no matter how she tried to hide it.

"So you think he'll actually listen to her?"

Glancing at her own miserable face in the mirror, Iku realized she honestly didn't know how to answer. "I don't know. That's-"

"You should consider Instructor Dojo's feelings."

_Huh?_ Iku looked up, startled and confused. Her eyes met Shibasaki's in the mirror reflection.

"You're worrying about him breaking up with you just because your parents don't approve. That just shows how little trust you have in him." Shibasaki didn't bother to sugar-coat her words even if she knew her roommate's feelings would be hurt. "This is just one obstacle, and I'm almost sure it won't be the last. Do your feelings for him only go this far? If that's the case, then perhaps breaking up wouldn't be such a bad idea."

_After all, it's something she needs to reflect on._

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Sitting at the benches at the side of the library, Toshiko turned her head around discreetly, tightly gripping her purse close to her chest. When she saw the targets, she quickly put her head away. After counting ten seconds, she looked again, pleased to see them leaving the library base.

"Dai, follow me!" Without bothering to glance behind her, she took a step, only to be pulled back.

"Uh, mom-" Dai kept his hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure…"

"Of course! Now, hurry up!" She shrugged her son's hand away.

"Wait," Dai called. "I really, really don't know if we should-"

Toshiko frowned and shook her head at him. "This is for Iku's own good! I, as her mother, have the right to interfere!"

"I understand what you mean when you say it's for her good but," Dai gave Iku and Dojo in the distance a sideways glance, "if we follow them, we're practically invading their privacy."

"Nonsense! If they don't see us, then everything will be fine. Now hurry up!" Paying no mind to everything around them, Toshiko kept her eyes on Dojo and Iku as they travelled through the busy streets.

"Wait! Mom, we need to meet dad back at the library in half an hour, remember?! He'll worry if we don't show up-"

"It's fine, it's fine." She waved a hand as if she was brushing off his worries. "Then call him and tell him where we're going."

"He has his phone turned off though."

_Ugh, forget it!_ Dai put away his cell phone and scowled, reluctantly trailing behind his mother.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

There doesn't seem to be any particular destination.

Iku peeked at Dojo from the corner of her eye. Since they'd met up in front of the library, he's been unusually quiet and he barely looked at her. She gulped, and despite Shibasaki's enquiry before, she couldn't help but remember her worries from the past few days.

_I know I might be acting paranoid, but what if-_ Iku clutched her chest, trying to ignore the pain-_what if he's actually considering a break-up?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when someone bumped into her. "Ah-sorry," she heard the man say. Turning around to apologize, she realized he was gone, and frowned. _That voice sounded like-_

"Iku? Something wrong?"

She turned back to Dojo. "Ah, no, it's nothing." When Dojo looked away, she frowned again and thought to herself. _The voice sounded like father._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Iku knew she was being overly self-conscious, but she couldn't stop herself from looking around again, to check if it was her father. _That's ridiculous, Iku!_ She scolded herself. _They wouldn't come follow me; especially father, anyway._

It was only the beginning of their date, and Iku was already having a nervous breakdown hidden behind a not-very-convincing poker face. Quietly, she started gulping deeper breaths, desperate to calm her racing heartbeats. _It's alright, it's alright. He shouldn't notice how nervous I am, right?_

"Iku?"

She didn't realize she'd been staring at him for the past minute. "Ah-yeah, what?"

Dojo frowned. "Is everything okay?"

"Y-yeah." Pretending to look around, she hoped he wouldn't be able to see through her lie. "S-So uh-where are we going?"

"Did you eat lunch yet?" He didn't comment on the way she tried to naturally look away.

"N-No, not yet." Her face lit up as she remembered the place where she had eaten lunch with Shibasaki a while ago. "Should we go to _Transall_ this time? It's a casual restaurant, but it's a station away though."

"That's alright." His agreement gave Iku a huge breath of relief. _Wait, what am I so worried about? Everything is going fine… _

As they headed towards the subway station, the number of people increased dramatically. She bumped into many people as she attempted to keep up with Dojo, who seemed to have no trouble navigating through the crowd. _Wait!_ A sharp pain in the side of her ribs caught her attention, and she turned to see a young boy holding a large wooden box in his hands. _That hurt._

"S-Sorry!" The boy bowed his head quickly and took off before Iku could react.

She turned back and saw Dojo getting further by the second. He didn't seem to notice that she was getting pulled behind by the crowd. With a burst of energy, she pushed through and reached out towards his hand-but at the last second, she hesitated and held on to his jacket instead.

"Kasahara-" Dojo seemed slightly worried at her troubled expression. "-what happened?"

"It's nothing, I just bumped into a couple of people that's all." Iku let go of his jacket. "L-Let's go."

His hand brushed against hers, and for a split second, she considered interlacing her fingers with his, but brushed away the thought as the look of realization appeared on her face. Iku quickly turned her head away so he wouldn't notice her expression. It might've been a slip of the tongue, or something he'd gotten used to after so many years, but somehow, it still bothered her.

_"Kasahara."_

He'd called her that for over three years, and he still does on a daily basis-while they are at work. But it scared her how quickly she'd gotten used to Dojo calling her by her first name within the short time they'd begun dating.

_Is it normal to feel this way?_

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If it's one thing he's not used to, it's definitely the crowded subway stations. Within 30 seconds, Dai was already sure he'd received more bruises from being elbowed and bumped into than he'd ever had before. _Ow, ow, ow-that hurt!_ He turned and frowned at the retreating figure of the woman who'd rudely shoved pass him. _Not even an apology, huh? I'm so lucky I don't live here._

Glancing ahead, he noticed his mother acting in the same manner as the woman from before, frantically pushing through the crowd in a hurry. A sigh escaped through his lips.

"Hurry, Dai! They're going to get on the subway soon!" Reaching into her pocket, she mumbled, "I knew it was right to buy subway tickets beforehand…"

Feeling extremely uncomfortable and out of place, Dai glanced around and froze when he saw a very familiar looking person ahead of them. In any other situation, he'd congratulate himself for being so observant as to notice one particular person in such a huge crowd, but now was not the time. He patted Toshiko on the shoulder. "…Isn't that dad?"

"Hm?" She reluctantly took her eyes off Dojo and Iku and looked to where Dai was pointing. "Katsuhiro!"

At the sound of his name, Katsuhiro turned around, freezing in surprise when he noticed his wife and son. He quickly straightened his back, and coughed to clear his throat. "…Toshiko, Dai."

For some bizarre reason, Dai wasn't feeling surprised anymore. Maybe he'd gotten used to seeing his parent's random acts of over-protectiveness towards their only daughter. He gave his father a strange look. _So you're the kind of person who'd stalk others on their dates too, huh?_

Katsuhiro purposely avoided eye contact with his son, as if he knew what he was thinking. "I…" He cleared his throat again, "I happened to see them…on my way back."

"So you weren't planning to follow them or anything?"

Raising his eyebrows at his son's blunt question, Katsuhiro gave him a small smile. "Th-"

"The train's coming!" Toshiko interrupted, and proceeded to push through the crowd again to get to the platform.

Desperate to stop his mother, Dai turned to his Katsuhiro. "Dad…"

Katsuhiro patted his son on the back and followed after Toshiko. "You know how your mother is."

"But-"

"Dai." His voice suddenly took on a serious tone. "This is the only way for your mother to be rest assured. So just play along for now, alright? And I have to admit…" He coughed. "I _am_ quite curious about their date."

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

"_'Transall'_…it seems like a decent restaurant, I suppose…"

It was already a miracle that they hadn't been found out yet, but the way his mother keeps talking to herself out loud made it seem like she was _trying_ to give them away. Dai frowned at her once again. "What are you trying to observe anyway?"

"There's nothing wrong with trying to watch over Iku on her first date." She said again. "Now stop talking so loudly."

Dai took several deep breaths to calm himself down. It didn't make sense to him how both of his parents acted like this was _normal_. The way they keep peeking around walls, stopping now and then to make sure they weren't too close…it's like they're screaming for the whole world to find out what they're doing.

_This kinda makes me not wanna get a girlfriend._

But as sneaky as their actions were, he could deal with it. He'd just keep his thoughts to himself and quietly follow them like a good child. But to follow them into the restaurant…and picking the table _directly beside_ theirs was _definitely _overboard.

Dai started to whisper a complain, but his mother quickly put her hand over his mouth and dragged him down.

_I suppose I should feel lucky that this restaurant actually has wall dividers to separate the seats._


End file.
